'Say Hi Vancouver' Urges Residents To Wear Name Tags

Shelley Koorbatoff is organizing 'Say Hi Vancouver' for Feb. 8. It's an event where people wear nametags to develop a stronger sense of community. (Facebook)

When Shelley Koorbatoff moved to Vancouver two years ago, she didn't think she'd have trouble making friends. Despite her best efforts, she knows few people outside her workplace and doesn't even know her neighbours.

So she started "Say Hi Vancouver," scheduled for Feb. 8 which encourages residents to get to know each other better by wearing name tags.

"If you have a friend walking towards you down the street, you see them and you say hi, but for some reason, if it's a stranger, you feel held back," Koorbatoff explained. "I just wanted to break through those barriers and create an opportunity for people to reach out and be engaged."

Koorbatoff grew up in Grand Forks, B.C. and has lived in Edmonton, Kelowna and Victoria. She said she's seen people have difficulty making friends in numerous cities but Vancouver has proven more difficult than the others.

"I lived in Victoria for 18 years, I have a lot of great friends there, people I'll call up and we'll hang out. I just don't feel like I really have that in Vancouver," she told The Huffington Post B.C. in an interview.

Do you think Vancouver is a friendly city?

This gallery shows the best places to be alone near Vancouver, B.C.
North Vancouver's Deep Cove is one of them.

At the western edge of Steveston Village in Richmond you'll find this park, a rolling landscape of meadows and bushes. Stand on one of its beaches and watch tankers roll in.
Read: Lonely Vancouver

If you can find a moment alone here, it's worth it. Prospect Point looks out over Burrard Inlet and out to the North Shore. It's a popular spot for tourists so it's best to go outside peak times.

There's a little lookout at the apex of Burrard Bridge. Beneath you is Vanier Park, beyond that is the North Shore and the Sunshine Coast. Breathtaking views make for deep thinking.

Rare is the southward view that's better than this one. Lighthouse Park offers solace and a beautiful view looking out to the Salish Sea.

One of East Van's best parks, this little jewel offers solace to anyone taking their dog for a walk or who needs to get away from the noise of the city. Check it out on Saturdays for the Farmer's Market.

There's a lone seat on the front of the Canada Line. Take it, and it's like staring into a void as you cruise underground and over the Fraser River into Richmond.

Formerly a row of antique shops, now a hipster's paradise, Main Street is a place where it's cliche to be with someone else. Don't worry if you're sitting alone in a cafe writing on your laptop. Everyone else is in the same boat as you are.

Just outside the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts you'll find the Rose Garden, a lovely locale for intellectuals to let their minds run free. Take away the stress by having a nice look out to Burrard Inlet.

Tower Beach was once a key strategic point for the Canadian Forces, with searchlight towers still lining the coast. Today, it's a great place to take a break from studying, put up a campfire and bask in the glow of the night sky.

The solemnity you feel at the top of Grouse Mountain is more than worth the Grind it takes to get up there. Finish the hike, then stop and listen: you won't hear a thing.

The Arctic exhibit is a place where you can feel alone, even in the company of others. Stare longingly at the beluga whales as they swim gracefully past the viewing window.

Take a nice, long walk to the summit of Queen Elizabeth Park. There you'll find gorgeous gardens, a geodesic dome and gorgeous views of the city below.

Try to find a seat alone for a Vancouver Canadians home game and witness one of the prettiest little ballparks in the country. Baseball is a game with a lot of stops and starts, giving you plenty of time for reflection.

The island itself is great, the ride there is better. There's hardly a better ride than standing on the deck of the Bowen Island Ferry as it traverses Howe Sound.